Thomas Montague (Portrait)GUNTER

Evergreen (Fayetteville) Cemetery
Washington County,Arkansas

COL
Civil War Confederate States Army
1824 - 1904

BORN Warren Tenn.
MEMBER OF U.S. CONGRESS 1872 - 1882

From usgwarchives.net:
Hon. Thomas Montague Gunter, one of Washington County's representative men, and one who has been closely identified with her interests, was born on a farm in Warren County, Tenn., September 18, 1826, the son of John and Lavina (Thomason) Gunter, natives of North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively, and grandson of Augustus Gunter, of North Carolina, who settled in Tennessee at an early date. The Gunters were people of fine physical development, [p.948] and were strong in their convictions. They were believers in the Presbyterian doctrine. The Thomasons were of similar characteristics, and Mrs. Lavina (Thomason) was the daughter of William Thomason, of Tennessee. Thomas M. Gunter
was reared to manhood on the farm, and secured a fair education in the common schools, supplementing it with a collegiate course at Irvin College, near McMinnville, Warren Co., Tenn., from which institution
he graduated in 1849, as valedictorian of his class. He had, in early manhood, formed strong inclinations for the study of law, and after graduating he taught school for twelve months in Alabama, and with the
means thus obtained was enabled to further prosecute that study. In 1852 he moved to Arkansas, and on the 2d of January, 1853, he moved to Fayetteville, where he entered the office of Gen. H. F. Thomason (a
cousin), completing a thorough course of study under him, and was admitted to the bar in 1854, by Hon. Felix I. Batson, circuit judge of this district. He served in the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, Forty-
fifth, Forty-sixth and Forty-Seventh General United States Congress.
He also served as prosecuting attorney for the ten counties of Northwest Arkansas, served under the Murphy Government, and was
reconstructed out of that office upon the reconstruction of the State. He was married in Louisiana, Mo., December 4, 1854, to Miss Marcella Jackson, whom he buried, in 1856, at Mount Comfort Cemetery in full
communion with the Christian Church; she was a noble woman, and left a son, Julius C., attorney at Trinidad, Colo., and a graduate of the University of Virginia. He settled there at first on account of his
health, and afterward permanently located there. Mr. Gunter took for his second wife Miss Jennie Bragg, of Charleston, Va., who is a relative of Gen. Bragg, of the Confederate States army. They have a
son and daughter: Walker T., reading law with his brother, and Gertrude. When the war broke out Mr. Gunter enlisted in the
Confederate army, in the Arkansas State Militia, and participated in the Wilson Creek battle, commanding Company A. Walker's regiment, under Gen. Pierce, and, upon the formation of the regular service,
entered it as captain. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel upon the organization of the Thirty-fourth Arkansas Infantry, known as Brooks' regiment, and rendered active and honorable
service until the winter of 1864, when he was elected lieutenant- colonel of a battalion of cavalry upon the reorganization of the troops, and held command of this battalion (Gunter's battalion of cavalry) until cessation of hostilities. He went with Gen. Price to
Missouri, and, after Gen. Cabell's capture, commanded the brigade at Newtonia. He participated in the battles of Oak Hill, Elk Horn or Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Poison Spring, Jenkins' Ferry, and after the last named battle made the raid to Missouri. As before mentioned, he
commanded the brigade after Cabell's capture, fought at Neosho. While
a member of Congress Mr. Gunter was chairman of the committee on
private land claims, and served in that capacity for eight years. He was also a member of the committee on Indian affairs, etc. He retired on his own account, after serving his tenth year. He was a delegate to the seceding convention of Arkansas, and felt opposed to the principles, holding that the matter should be settled without
difficulty. He is considerably interested in agricultural pursuits, and is a successful breeder of Jersey cattle and Southdown sheep. In 1880 he built large flouring mills at Siloam Springs, which he has lately remodeled by the roller process. Mrs. Gunter is a member of the Episcopal Church, and an ardent worker in the Ladies' Aid Society of that church. Mr. Gunter has held affiliation with the Masonic body
since his early manhood. He has passed all the chairs of that body, and is a worthy Sir Knight of Baldwin Commandery No. 4.

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